1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved medical instruments for visualizing interior portion of the human anatomy. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved laryngoscope having an adapter for connecting a laryngoscope to a readily detachable video imaging device, such as a video monitor.
2. Description of Related Art
The field of laryngoscopy includes medical diagnostic and therapeutic disciplines which utilize laryngoscopes to view the laryngeal area of the throat with minimal intrusion. Laryngoscopes are anatomically shaped rigid fiber optic instruments designed to aid intubation, i.e., to facilitate endotracheal intubation of a patient during surgery to provide a positive air passageway for the administration of anesthesia and/or for the mechanical ventilation of the lungs of a patient.
By way of background, the epiglottis normally over lies the glottis opening into the larynx to prevent the passage of food into the trachea during eating; therefore, in endotracheal intubation, it is necessary to displace the epiglottis from the glottal opening to permit the air tube to be inserted into the trachea. An illustration of this area of the human anatomy is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,963, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Various laryngoscope constructions are known. The more widely used laryngoscopes comprise an elongate, rigid metal blade which is supportably attached to a handle and is inserted through the mouth of the patient into the pharyngeal area to displace the tongue and epiglottis and permit direct visualization of the glottis through the mouth opening. These laryngoscopes have a curved blade and are provided with a light source which is directed along the blade to illuminate the area beyond the distal end of the blade, and thus, function as an indirect fiber optic laryngoscope providing rapid, direct visualization of the larynx.
For many years the standard method for performing intubation of the trachea during surgery with rigid laryngoscope blades is to place the patient in supine position, tilt the head backwards as far as possible, and distend the lower jaw to widely open the mouth into the throat passageway to displace the tongue and epiglottis and expose the opening at the upper part of the larynx, between the vocal cords, known as the glottis.
One example of such laryngoscope has means for indirect illumination and visualization of the pharyngeal areas of the body and various iterations of laryngoscopes are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,086,919; 4,905,669; 5,003,963; and 5,643,221. These patents disclose laryngoscopes for endotracheal intubation which include a rigid blade and flexible or articulatable tubular probes having internal fiber optics for lighting and viewing the larynx.
A drawback of laryngoscopes typically found in the prior art is the requirement that the practitioner view through an eyepiece located on the scope itself. This requires the physician to place an eye against the eyepiece while holding the instrument in place. Recent innovations to overcome this problem have focused on the idea of a video laryngoscope. Laryngoscopes having permanent or separate video imaging devices are known. In one type of video laryngoscope the images are carried to a viewing screen separate for the laryngoscope. One disadvantage of using medical instruments having a separate imaging screen is that they require extensive external accessories, such as video systems, monitors and wires and thus are usually quite expensive. Also the image is not convenient to the operator as the operator's head must turn to see the image. Another type of laryngoscope has the video monitor permanently attached to the body of the laryngoscope. Thus, the video attachment may not be easily removal for sterilization.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an improved laryngoscope having an adapter to couple a laryngoscope to a corresponding video monitor for use in video laryngoscopy. The adapter should be capable of quickly and easily releasing the monitor from the laryngoscope so that the laryngoscope may be sterilized for later use. In addition, the quick release adapter should enable the user to easily change monitor. Further, the adapter and monitor should not add much additional weight to the laryngoscope.